Alabama fullback Brad Smelley, whom the Browns drafted in the seventh round (No. 247 overall), spoke to reporters during a conference call. Here is a transcript from the news conference:

(On being reunited with Trent Richardson) – “I can’t wait. Trent just called me and it was good to talk to him and good to know that I’m going to be with him because he’s an unbelievable player. Obviously, I think he’s the best back I’ve ever play with, no doubt about it. He’s the best back I’ve ever seen in person. I’m excited to play with him again. He is a great football player, but a better person. I love that guy.”

Arizona cornerback Trevin Wade, whom the Browns drafted in the seventh round (No. 245), spoke with reporters tonight during a conference call. Here is a transcript:

(On the types of skills he displays) – “I'm smart, I have great ball skills and I can anticipate things that are coming so I don't miss a lot of tackles. I'm trying to bring a new, all around cornerback to the Cleveland Browns."

Boise State defensive lineman Billy Winn, whom the Browns selected in the sixth round (No. 205), spoke to reporters this afternoon during a conferene call. Here is a transcript:

(On if he is more comfortable at defensive tackle or end)- “I’m about halfway, right there in the middle. I feel like I have the versatility to play both. I am a quick learner. I can adapt to both and play both.”

Texas linebacker Emmanuel Acho, whom the Browns selected in the sixth round (No. 204), spoke to reporters this afternoon during a conference call. Here is a transcript:

(On his impressive senior season at Texas)- “Yes sir, it was a heck of a season. Thank God I was able to stay healthy and I think that’s what attributed to it. Obviously, hard work off of the field, but just being able to stay healthy and play that full season I was able to just completely show my full skill-set.”

The 5-foot-10, 192-pound Wade started all but two games during the past three years. He compiled 182 tackles, 28 pass breakups and 12 interceptions in his four collegiate seasons. Last season as a senior, he had 52 tackles, 13 pass breakups and two interceptions.

The Browns selected Boise State defensive lineman Billy Winn this evening in the sixth round (No. 205 overall) of the NFL Draft.

The 6-foot-4, 294-pound Winn started 39 of 40 games during the past three seasons. Last season, the majority of his playing time was at defensive tackle, though he has some experience at end. He compiled 33 tackles, including eight for loss and three sacks, last season as a senior.

Colorado offensive lineman Ryan Miller, whom the Browns drafted in the fifth round (No. 160), spoke to reporters this afternoon during a conference call. Here is a transcript:

(On being a taller guard and how that comes into play)- “I think I’ve got a lot more power in the legs, then I can bend and really extend that leverage out on guys on the inside. With that height I also bring long arms.”

Nevada linebacker James-Michael Johnson, whom the Browns picked in the fourth round (No. 120), spoke to reporters this afternoon by phone. Here is a transcript from the conference call:

(On if he is comfortable playing both inside and outside linebacker) – “Yes, I’m more comfortable at either role. It doesn’t really matter to me. My last two years I played MIKE and that’s where I’m comfortable at, but I’m a linebacker, I can play any position really.”

Nevada linebacker James-Michael Johnson, whom the Browns drafted in the fourth round (No. 120), spoke to reporters this afternoon by phone from Fairfield, Calif. Here are some of the highlights from the conference call:

You’ve played both inside and outside linebacker, are you more comfortable at one of those spots?: “It doesn’t really matter to me. The last two years I played MIKE. That’s where I’m comfortable at, but I’m a linebacker. I can play any position.”

Do you know anything about Browns middle linebacker D’Qwell Jackson and how he plays?: “Yeah, I’ve been watching D’Qwell for a couple years. He’s one of the best inside linebackers in the game. I admire how he plays. I try to pick up things from watching him play.” Do you have experience at special teams?: “I played special teams for every year I was at Nevada. It’s something I like doing, and I embrace special teams. I’m not one of those players who doesn’t like special teams. I don’t mind running down on kickoff or covering punts. I love everything about it.”

Did you have an idea where you might be taken?: “No, I really didn’t have an idea. I had a feeling what teams where looking for linebackers. I knew Cleveland was one of those teams and am really grateful they took me.”

Who are some of the NFL guys you watch and try to emulate?: “I like D’Qwell Jackson. He’s one of my favorite linebackers. Ray Lewis, Patrick Willis, and NaVorro Bowman recently, he had a really great season last year. London Fletcher, he’s a vet whose been doing it for years. Jonathan Vilma. I don’t know, I just like watching inside linebackers, basically. How they play, how they conduct themselves off the field, how they talk to their teammates to try to motivate guys. I just love everything about that.”

Did you visit the Browns?: If so, how’d that visit go and who’d you meet with?: “I met with everybody. The head coach, the GM, the D-coordinator, player personnel – I met with everybody, man. It was a good experience and was one of my favorite experiences. Everybody was nice to me, and I had a good feeling about it. I thought it was a good situation, and I had a good feel when I went there.”

The Browns selected Nevada linebacker James-Michael Johnson this afternoon in the fourth round (No. 120 overall) of the NFL Draft.

The 6-1, 241-pound Johnson spent his first two collegiate seasons playing on the strong side. In his final two seasons at Nevada, he moved to the middle, compiling 88 tackles as a junior and 100 as a senior. Johnson, who started all four seasons, paid a pre-draft visit to the Browns.

The Browns have selected Miami wide receiver Travis Benjamin this afternoon in the fourth round (No. 100 overall) of the NFL Draft.

The 5-foot-10, 175-pound Benjamin started nine of 11 games last season, catching 41 passes for 609 yards and three touchdowns. He finished his four-year collegiate career with 25 starts in 49 games and 131 receptions for 2,146 yards and 13 touchdowns.

After trading down 20 slots from 67 to 87 in the third round of the draft late Friday, the Browns tabbed University of Cincinnati DL John Hughes. Here are the question and answers from the Gahanna product’s teleconference:

The Browns traded down 20 spots in the third round of the NFL Draft and gained a fourth-round pick in a deal with the Denver Broncos.

The Browns gave up their third-round pick (No. 67) in exchange for selections from the Broncos in the third (No. 87) and fourth (No. 120) rounds. The draft will take a break tonight after the third round and resume at noon Saturday for the start of the fourth round.

(On if he prefers the left side or the right side)- “Obviously if you go to Cleveland, Joe Thomas is the left tackle, so probably right now a little more right tackle. Honestly, I’m pretty comfortable with both, like you said I’ve played both in my career, so I’m comfortable doing either. I know Cleveland has probably the best left tackle in the game, so I understand my role in regards to that.”

The Browns selected OT Mitchell Schwartz from Cal with their first pick (37th overall) in the NFL Draft Friday night. While Schwartz played both right and left tackle in college, he’ll slide over to the right side of the line as a pro with All-Pro Joe Thomas firmly entrenched at left tackle for the Browns.

Quarterback Brandon Weeden talked to reporters tonight on a conference call after the Browns drafted him 22nd overall. Here is a transcript from the news conference:

(On if his selection by the Browns took him by surprise)- “I was hoping that this would happen. I felt pretty good about it. Being through the draft before (MLB), you just never know so I was just kind of hoping for the best. Fortunately, it happened and I am extremely excited about it.”

Running back Trent Richardson spoke with reporters on a conference call Thursday night after the Browns traded up to draft him third overall. Here is a transcript from the news conference:

(On when he sensed the Browns would select him) – “Just now. You always hear different things. You hear people want to trade up or people want to trade down and you never know. I got a sense that they liked me when I was up there. They got on coach (Gary Brown) about when I knocked him down. They laughed at every bit of that.”

Browns General Manager Tom Heckert and coach Pat Shurmur met with reporters Thursday night after the first round of the NFL Draft concluded. Here are some of the highlights:

Heckert: “Obviously we are very excited about the two guys we got today and we look forward to the rest of the draft.”

Q: Can you talk about taking Weeden at No. 22 instead of waiting until No. 37?

Heckert: “That’s obviously something we talked about. We had a lot of conversations about it. When you’re talking about a quarterback, we just didn’t think it was worth taking a risk. Maybe something else you say, ‘Alright, if we get him its no big deal.’ But with a quarterback, we just wanted to make sure we got him. There’s some teams we know that were interested in him behind us, so we decided to go ahead and pick him.”

Q: Do you expect a wide-open quarterback competition heading into camp? Shurmur: “We have a new quarterback that’s going to be with us. I think tonight is more or less about Brandon Weeden and less about the competition right now. When we went through the process of evaluating him, we became very fond of him. We all did, from (owner) Randy (Lerner) to (president) Mike (Holmgren) to Tom and myself. We kind of came away saying, ‘this is a guy we’d like to have on our team.’ And that’s where it’s at right now.”

Q: Tom, you said in your pre-draft press conference last week that with a guy that age, you can’t have him sit a year. Is that still the thought process behind it?

Heckert: “I think it’s really anybody you take and more so the round. We want these guys to play. Now, how soon? I think I said this - it depends. And I think Pat’s going to make that decision if it takes him longer than we think, than obviously we’re not going to just throw a guy out there to just throw him out there. But eventually, he’s gonna be a starter for us. That’s why we drafted him.”

Browns coach Pat Shurmur briefly met with reporters Thursday night after the team traded up and selected Alabama running back Trent Richardson with the third overall pick. Here is a transcript from the news conference:

(Opening statement)- “As you saw, we chose Trent Richardson. Unfortunately, we had to make a trade to secure the pick. As we went through the process, we knew that he was our guy. We did what we had to do to secure it. We had good knowledge that there were teams behind us that wanted him as well. We gave up a couple of picks to make sure that we got him and that’s a credit to Tom Heckert and his guys for doing the intel on that. We will talk a bunch about Trent, he is passionate, he is productive, he is durable. He is the kind of runner that we feel is going to help us put an offense together to score the points that we need to win the games that we are going to win. We feel good about him. If you don’t sense the excitement in my voice then you are missing it. I think that he is a terrific player and he is going to be what we think to be a really, really fine addition to the Cleveland Browns team. I think he is going to be one of those players that our fans and our community will be able to watch run the ball for a lot of years, that is what we are excited about.”

Based on early feedback, the Browns may have already created some controversy with their second selection at No. 22: Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden.

While Weeden’s advanced age – he’ll turn 29 come October - has many fans questioning the pick, Weeden’s confident his maturity will be a positive in the NFL. While we wait to see, here’s the Q & A exchange between Weeden and the local media:

With less than two hours before the start of the draft, Browns General Manager Tom Heckert conducted a radio interview tonight with WTAM (1100-AM) at the team’s headquarters in Berea. Here are some of the highlights:

Former NFL General Manager Charley Casserly, who’s now an analyst for NFL Network and CBS Sports, reported Wednesday night the Bills are willing to trade a second-round pick (No. 41 overall) and to move up for Kalil.

Statistics show many loyal readers of Ohio.com no longer live in Northeast Ohio. Consequently, they do not have access to the local broadcasts of Browns games.

So here's a nugget that might be of particular interest to those readers (and even some who still live in the area): DirecTV is dropping the price for its NFL Sunday Ticket package from about $325 to $199.95.

Browns wide receiver Josh Cribbs was given a speeding citation last week for driving 103 mph in a 60-mph zone, court records indicate.

Cribbs was driving a two-door 2010 Bentley northbound on Interstate 71 when he was pulled over at 8:45 p.m. Friday near Fulton Road in Cleveland, according to the records. He was charged with speeding and is scheduled to appear in Cleveland Municipal Court at 1:30 p.m. May 4.

Browns General Manager Tom Heckert met with reporters this morning in Berea. Here is a transcript from his pre-draft news conference:

(On if he wants to keep the fourth overall pick or trade down)- "I think we would like to stay there. Wherever you are picking you think you are going to stay there and then if something else happens that's the secondary thing. I do think we probably would be able to trade out. I don't know that for sure but I think so. Right now we hope we stay there and take a good player."

General Manager Tom Heckert said the Browns would like to keep the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft, and they know they’ll get one of their top two choices if they stay in that spot on April 26.

The Browns' 2012 regular-season schedule was released tonight. Here it is, complete with our early storylines:

WEEK 1 -- Sun., Sept. 9: vs. Philadelphia Eagles, FOX, 1 p.m.
Early storyline: Pat Shurmur faces his mentor, Eagles coach Andy Reid, in the regular season for the first time as a head coach. The Browns are 1-12 in regular-season openers since 1999 and have lost seven in a row.

Browns coach Pat Shurmur held a conference call with reporters this afternoon to talk about the start of the team's offseason workout program. Here is a transcript from the call:

(Opening statement) -- “As you know it’s the start of the offseason program, and it’s obviously exciting for me to have the players back in the building. I got a chance to see most of them. Really aside from a couple of guys, we’ve got an outstanding turnout for the first day. They are getting their weight training in and I’m sure you all know the rules on it. We are in phase one of basically a nine or 10 week program. Its 10 weeks total with a week off, but I am going to go straight through with nine straight and give them their week off at the end. We are in phase one for a couple weeks now where it’s basically weight training with our strength coaches then they will be able to meet with their assistant coaches, but not go on the field. As we get into phase two and three then we will get into the OTAs and the mandatory minicamp. Then after the draft we will have a rookie weekend minicamp. Its Mother’s Day weekend that weekend so I’ll have some people upset I’m sure (joking). I’m excited. For coaches to see players back, I think that’s an exciting thing. From what I can tell talking to the players, there is excitement to be back. For a lot of our veteran guys, their body clock says that the offseason program started a month ago. Most of these guys I’m sure have been working out on their own, at least the ones I have spoken to, and now they get an opportunity to train with their teammates.”

Among the majority of fans and media, Alabama running back Trent Richardson has seemingly emerged as the most popular choice for the Browns to draft with the fourth overall pick on April 26.

The Browns' decision makers, of course, might have something else in mind. And Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon and Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill could certainly be part of the equation.

As outlined in the collective bargaining agreement, players’ activities must be limited to strength and conditioning and physical rehabilitation during phase one (the first two weeks) of the nine-week offseason workout program.

In my second top-40 mock draft, I had the Browns picking Louisiana State cornerback Morris Claiborne fourth overall. After exploring that wildcard scenario, I have returned to what I consider the most logical strategy for the Browns.

South Carolina cornerback Stephon Gilmore, Stanford offensive tackle Jonathan Martin and Utah State linebacker Bobby Wagner are among the draft prospects who have visited the Browns this week, league sources told the Beacon Journal this afternoon.